Great Islay Swim

On July 23rd, 2017 Fornal led an 8 day circumnavigational swim of Isaly, Scotland with fellow Explorers Club member Chad Anderson. The expedition was sponsored by Single Cask Nation and Visit Scotland.

RWANDA: IMINGONGO

An expedition to rural Rwanda to work with the Kakira Imingongo Women’s Cooperative. Imingongo is a traditional Tutsi art form that uses cow dung and paints made from traditional soils and clay. Sponsored by National Geographic

UGANDA: BARKCLOTH

As part of the larger FABRICS expedition the team traveled to Masaka, Uganda to document the production of a textile made from the bark of the mtube tree. This is a sacred ritualistic fabric fro the Baganda people. Sponsored by Andrew Freedman Museum

TANZANIA: HADZA

The expedition team lived with one of the world’s last groups of hunters and gatherers living in a small settlement on Lake Eyasi. The goal was to document elements of everyday Hadza life, including the process of making poisonous arrows using the sap of the desert rose.

TANZANIA: ALBINISM & WITCHCRAFT

Over three separate voyages Fornal and his team have investigated the kidnapping and murder of albino children for usage in mchawi witchcraft. The team is working with officials to offer a long-term solution to end the practice.

OAXACA: THE LAST PURPLE SNAIL DYERS

Part of the larger FABRICS expedition series, Fornal ventured to Oaxaca Mexico to work with the last Mixtec snail dyers as well as Zapotec rug weavers who dye fabric using cochineal, indigo, clays, and fruits. Lecture of findings delivered at the Bruce Museum. Article coming out in National Geographic Traveler December 2017 Sponsored by National Geographic & Andrew Freedman Home

YEMEN: LEGACY OF QAT

VIETNAM: GIANT WATER BUG JUICE

Fornal ventured to Northern Vietnam to seek out the last producers of ca coung, a condiment made from the thoracic exudate of the giant water bug. Fornal built off of the research of Dr. V.Q. Manh, professor of entomology at University of Hanoi.